Fruits of Portugal

The year 2017 marks the second stage in a release of stamps showcasing the Fruits of Portugal, reinforcing and consolidating the brand image of CTT that, with its stamps, commemorates the country’s history by recognising and disseminating the cultural, economic, social, environmental and human heritage of Portugal. Through each stamp issued, it is the essence of what our Portuguese heritage really means that is promoted.

Our history belongs to every one of us... and it is no di erent with our fruit: what they are, where they come from, who brought them, how each has grown and developed and what they mean today. Behind each type of fruit, there is a story that helps us better understand our own history.

Most fruit takes on the name of the region where it is grown, whether these are larger territories like the Azores Passion Fruit or the Madeira Custard Apple, or speci c localities like Alcobaça Apples. Other fruit bears the name of people, such as Dona Maria Grapes, named after the mother of the agronomist who developed this variety.

With the launch of this collection of another six Portuguese fruits, the “philatelic fruit salad” is enriched in a unique and inimitable way; and by focusing on fruit that is unique in the world, the release undoubtedly represents a contribution to the knowledge of the history of Portugal. This is not knowledge in the traditional sense, however, since each one of the fruits is a part of the history of a region, re ecting and intersecting variables such as soil, climate, geography, biodiversity, people... in short, the ability of each of us to make the best of what nature o ers us and create something of value. By tracing this ‘fruitful’ journey across the stamps and the fruits themselves, it is possible to draw

a map of Portugal, such is the wealth our country o ers despite its diminutive size. And this release is only the second of this fruitful itinerary. If you close your eyes and allow yourself to embark on this trip with us, we shall begin at the River Douro with its almond trees in bloom - the Douro Almond - heading to the central coast with a mandatory stop at the Monastery of Alcobaça - the Alcobaça Apple. From there we shall jump from the West to the Alentejo, savouring the Dona Maria Grape in the region with the best examples of this exclusively Portuguese variety. We conclude the continental leg of this trip in the shadow of an Algarvian g tree - the Algarve Fig - to then nally conclude our tour discovering the paradises of Madeira and the Azores, with the Madeira Custard Apple and the Azores Passion Fruit. One of the many merits of this series is that it promotes in an original and di erent way our fruit in the context of a globalised and so often standardised world that often forgets the value of local culture - and there are so many good things in this local Portuguese culture! Another merit of the release is that it features fruit, a key part of a healthy diet, in the context of a society increasingly facing challenges in terms of the diet of its citizens.

In this sense, the ‘Fruits of Portugal’ stamp series - which now includes twelve stamps - offers us a good excuse for when we are shopping or eating a piece of fruit to remember its name, its history and to share these with the younger generation. After all, good habits are best learned young.